There is never a dull moment in the world of showbiz, especially when fans take it upon themselves to call for a boycott.
This week, fans appear to be hating on the reboot of Sushant Singh Rajput’s hit TV show ‘Pavitra Rishta’, which took on a cult status following his tragic death last year.
Rajput’s co-star and former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande announced that they had started shooting for ‘Pavitra Rishta 2’, with actor Shaheer Sheikh being roped in to play the lead this time around.
The news appeared to have agitated fans who have been demanding justice over the past one year following Rajput’s death by hanging, with many claiming that it was Bollywood politics and lack of work that eventually led to his death. A drug angle is also being probed by authorities.
Rajput became a household name when he starred as Manav Deshmukh on the hit show produced by Ekta Kapoor 12 years ago. It was also on the sets of the show that Lokhande and Rajput also started dating and even moved in together before their split.
Rajput famously quit the show as he got his big break in Bollywood with ‘Kai Po Che!’ and actor Hiten Tejwani later replaced him in the series.
As news of ‘Pavitra Rishta 2’ started to circulate, several loyal fans of the late star took to social media to voice their anger at seeing their idol replaced on screen.
“Manav is not a name. It is a emotion of millions...That emotion which directly connects to Sushant. So we can’t accept this Manav 2...Let’s Boycott.. OUR MANAV ONLY SUSHANT #BoycottPavitraRishta2,” posted Twitter user Afrin Neha.
“Our Manav Deshmukh is only Sushant...And no one can ever take his place!!- SSR IS A REVOLUTION #BoycottPavitraRishta2,” posted user Zeba4Sushant.
Twitter user SeemaR001 also trolled Lokhande in her tweet, writing: “Ruining Manav’s role and it’s intolerable. Manav isn’t just a character, it’s an emotion and you can’t play with our emotions. No one is better than Sushant as Manav so why you ruining a iconic character? @ektarkapoor @anky1912 [Lokhande] No Sushant No Pavitra Rishta #BoycottPavitraRishta2.”
User Puja D added: “NO ONE literally NO ONE can ever replace our Sush. @anky1912 may ur show become the biggest flop of the eternity. #BoycottPavitraRishta2.”
Meanwhile, many also used the Twitter trend to demand justice for Rajput following his death. The later actor’s ex-girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty is currently under investigation following a probe into a drug angle that has seen the arrests of several members close to Rajput, including her brother Showik, along with the actor’s roommate Siddharth Pithani and the actor’s house help at the time of his death.
